Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness, CSC was appointed Australia’s National Cyber Security Coordinator (the Coordinator)on 26 February 2024. As Coordinator, LTGEN McGuinness leads national cyber security policy, the coordination of responses to major cyber incidents, whole of government cyber incident preparedness efforts, and the strengthening of Commonwealth cyber security capability.
Joining the Australian Defence Force in 1994, LTGEN McGuinness has served in a range of tactical, operational, and strategic roles across the Department of Defence and internationally.
LTGEN McGuinness has held intelligence, interagency and international engagement roles including multiple appointments within the U.S. Most recently as Australia’s first Deputy Director for Commonwealth Integration at the United States’ Defense Intelligence Agency, she led policy and cultural reform, and technological integration, including interoperability across information technology, systems and data. In 2016, LTGEN McGuinness was appointed Assistant Military Attaché at the Embassy of Australia in Washington, D.C. Senior appointments include Chief of Staff to the Chief of the Defence Force, and Director General, Counter-proliferation and Terrorism at the Defence Intelligence Organisation where she led interagency intelligence support to whole-of-government counter-proliferation initiatives, and Australia’s Strategic Health Intelligence capability during the COVID19 Pandemic. Operational deployments include Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands.
LTGEN McGuinness holds a Bachelor of Arts (Politics and Bahasa Indonesian) and a Master of Arts (Strategy and Policy) from the University of New South Wales, and a Master of International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.
LTGEN McGuinness’ foreign awards include the U.S. Legion of Merit, DIA Joint Meritorious Unit Award, and being twice awarded the U.S. Army Meritorious Service Medal. In 2018, LTGEN McGuinness was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in recognition of outstanding achievement in leadership, training development and international engagement.
LTGEN McGuinness enjoys family travel, exploring food and the outdoors, and being active in her local community
